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September 10, 2008

Gundersen Opens New Ramp, Lobby Monday

by Sam Savage

By Rindfleisch, Terry

Gundersen Lutheran's new underground patient parking and lobby addition will open Monday. The $10 million structure was dedicated Friday with an afternoon ceremony. The ramp adds 230 more parking spaces to the medical center's grounds, with 549 parking stalls on two underground levels and one above-ground level, and direct access to the floors and elevators of the clinic.

Elevators are connected to the reception desks at all floors except the second floor, which is part of a two-story atrium. Patients will have 24-hour access to the ramp.

Complimentary valet parking will continue to be offered on the surface level of the ramp, and the valet shuttle will be reassigned to the ramp to help patients get to the elevators.

Also on Monday, the main entrance of the clinic will close for remodeling, which is expected to take six months. The temporary entrance will be next to the ramp.

Gundersen Lutheran will start construction on a second parking structure near the hospital this fall. The structure for 500 patient vehicles west of the hospital should be completed by the end of next summer and eventually will be connected to a new critical-care hospital.